Adobe Community: Creating a transparent GIF in Photoshop CS4

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1. c.pfaffenbichler,

Mar 1, 2011 11:26 PM in reply to Peter A. Forkes

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Why not a psd or PNG-24?

Could you post a lores version of the image.

They talk about using the lasso tool to draw around my signature (which I do) and then they say press the delete key.

You probably are on a Background Layer which could be changed to a regular layer by double-clicking it.

But the advice seems … Layer Masks are often preferable to deleting.

My recommendations:

• Convert to RGB

• Load luminance or the channel with the best contrast by command-clicking the appropriate channel in the Channels Panel

• Create a Solid Color Layer (Layer > New Fill Layer > Solid Color) and select the color you want

• Hide the other Layer

• If the Solid Color Layer is not solid or not transparent where it should be, use Image > Adjustments > Curves or Levels to edit accordingly

• Save that as psd and, if you really need them, use Save for Web and Devices to save a GIF or PNG-24 off of that layered file

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2. Peter A. Forkes,

Mar 5, 2011 11:07 AM in reply to c.pfaffenbichler

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I would prefer NOT to post any version (lo-res or not) of my signature

"Why not a psd or PNG-24?"

The word 'psd" and "PNG-24" are meaningless to me, so I do not know how to answer that question.

Is there a video tutorial of this? the problem I have with Photoshop CS4 is that when I enter the help system it goes to the web and give me help for Photoshop CS5!!!!

"Convert to RGB"

OK, so I clicked on Image - Mode RGB Color

"Load luminance or the channel with the best contrast by command-clicking the appropriate channel in the Channels Panel"

I have NO idea what any of this means or how to "load luminence"

To re-iterate.

I have a GIF file with only TWO color: black and white. I want the white to be transparent, so that I ONLY have the black.

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3. Peter A. Forkes,

Mar 5, 2011 1:11 PM in reply to Peter A. Forkes

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This is how I did it:

Save the file you want to convert as a JPG file.

Launch Photoshop CS4

File – Open... [enter the file you want use].

Window – Layers

Double click on “Layer 0”

Click on OK.

Click on the Magic Wand tool

If the image is surrounded by a single color, then click on the rea you want to be transparent then select Edit- Cut (the ‘selected’ area while now be shown as grey checkers. Repeat this as necessary.

Choose File – Save for Web and Devices…

Click on Save.

Enter the file name (make sure it’s a GIF)

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4. c.pfaffenbichler,

Mar 6, 2011 4:11 AM in reply to Peter A. Forkes

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Load luminance or the channel with the best contrast by command-clicking the appropriate channel in the Channels Panel

It seems hard to make it more clear …

Command-click (hold the command-key pressed while clicking) the composite Channel’s icon (or any of the other channels’ if you should deem them preferable) in the Channels Panel.

This should load a Selection.

I would like to create a transparent GIF of my signature, so that I can put it into various documents.

Where do you want to do that anyway (Photoshop, some layout-software, a browser …)?

Because depending on that using a file-format of fairly limited features like gif could seem inadvisable.

the problem I have with Photoshop CS4 is that when I enter the help system it goes to the web and give me help for Photoshop CS5!!!!

You should be able to download the Help as a pdf here:

http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/408/kb408379.html

If psd doen’t mean anything to you you should look it up.

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5. Peter A. Forkes,

Mar 6, 2011 7:49 AM in reply to c.pfaffenbichler

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Thank you for your reply. After a LOT of Googling, I finally found a web page that had each of the icons with a name explaining what their names were. For some reason, my version of Photoshop CS4 has different names for some of the icons than the names other people here refer to them with ('Color Sample Tool' on my Mac is 'Eyedropper Tool'').

I was able to work this out by finding some YouTube videos.

For me, it it VERY confusing because there seems to be no consistency in how icons/tools are renamed in each version and how things are done in each version. Many pages of the Web do not mention which version they are using when they give step by step instructions.

I was able to work this out, however.

Thank you for your help.

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6. Marian Driscoll,

Mar 6, 2011 10:29 AM in reply to Peter A. Forkes

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The eyedropper tool may be called the color sample tool because that is what it does. Some of these icons are not unique to Photoshop. They reflect concepts in all image editors. To make things easier on you, it may be worth studying digital design concepts in addition to the specific software you are using. There may also be something to learn in this digital art practice...

Peter A. Forkes wrote:

...I would like to create a transparent GIF of my signature, so that I can put it into various documents...

As you can digitally post this on various documents, so can someone else. Be careful with this practice.

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7. Peter A. Forkes,

Mar 6, 2011 10:32 AM in reply to Marian Driscoll

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I do not intend to post my signature on line, instead I want to be able to insert it into documents for when I fax cover letters. But, thank you for your concern.

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8. c.pfaffenbichler,

Mar 6, 2011 10:52 PM in reply to Peter A. Forkes

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For me, it it VERY confusing because there seems to be no consistency in how icons/tools are renamed in each version and how things are done in each version.

In my opinion you better keep to the terminology as used in Adobe’s Help.

And the claim that tools are renamed in each version may be an exaggeration.

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9. pvj1978,

Mar 11, 2011 12:49 PM in reply to Peter A. Forkes

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I'm trying to do the exact same thing but I have a JPG. It's black and white and I want to make the black transparent.

What did you do to convert a color to transparent? Thanks! Do you have links to the videos?

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10. Peter A. Forkes,

Mar 13, 2011 2:33 PM in reply to pvj1978

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Here are the steps I used:

Create transparent GIFs, using Photoshop CS4

Save the file you want to convert as a JPG file.

Launch Photoshop CS4

File – Open... [enter the file you want use].

Window – Layers

Double click on “Layer 0” (this should be on the right hand side, assuming you have not moved the panels around).

Click on OK.

Click on the Magic Wand tool

If the image is surrounded by a single color, then click on the rea you want to be transparent then select Edit- Cut (the ‘selected’ area while now be shown as grey checkers. Repeat this as necessary.

Choose File – Save for Web and Devices…

Click on Save.

Enter the file name (make sure it’s a GIF)

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11. c.pfaffenbichler,

Mar 14, 2011 12:12 AM in reply to pvj1978

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If the image is black and white anyway I advise against using the Magic Wand, but instead recommend using the Channel itself to create a Solid Color Layer by loading it as a Selection (command-click the channel in the Channels Panel).

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Creating a transparent GIF in Photoshop CS4

Mar 1, 2011 4:21 PM

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